By: www.PregnancyBay.com
There are several stages of pregnancy and several stages of labor and birth. But for the purposes of this article, we will restrict the information to the stages of pregnancy. As a matter for consideration, prior to getting pregnant, there are some important things to do in order for your body to be in its best health for preparation before conception. And conception is the very first pregnancy stage. But before conception and the early stage of pregnancy, the woman's body must ovulate. When the ripened egg is released by the ovary, it travels through the fallopian tube where it will be penetrated by the sperm and become fertilized. This is conception.
After this initial stage of pregnancy, post ovulation, the Carnegie stages of pregnancy begin. During the first nine weeks of pregnancy all the essential organs and systems of the fetus form, but are not yet able to sustain independent life. The 23 Carnegie Stages of pregnancy describe the internal and external physical characteristics of the embryo during this stage of pregnancy or what is also referred to as the first trimester.
The second trimester or next stage of pregnancy is when the organs and systems continue to develop. The second stage of pregnancy technically begins in week 13. During this stage of pregnancy, the woman usually begins to feel the baby's movement and starts growing around the middle so that she will need to start wearing maternity clothing. Entering this stage of pregnancy, most fears of miscarriage dissipate and so do many of the earlier symptoms of nausea and fatigue. This stage of pregnancy is generally the most enjoyable. The size of the fetus doesn't weigh to heavily on the woman's body so backache and sleep disturbance are rarely issues. And generally, women have lots of energy and feel really good during the second trimester or stage of pregnancy.
The third and final stage of pregnancy, or third trimester, weeks 27 until birth, can start to be more draining. This is the home stretch and a time when a woman begins to prepare for the birth of her baby. Along with the physical changes that are going on, this stage of pregnancy will usually include enrollment in childbirth preparation classes, reading about birth and breast feeding and even packing a bag for the hospital if that is where the birth will take place.
If a home birth is planned, then preparations for that need to take place, renting or buying supplies that might include a tub for a water birth. During this last stage of pregnancy, fatigue may become an issue and lots of pressure on the bladder. Also, the uterus will begin preparing for the birth and the woman may be aware of Braxton Hicks contractions, or what are sometimes referred to as false labor. These contractions can be quite strong, but are usually not experienced in any pattern that would indicate real labor.
Finally, the last stage of pregnancy is the birth itself. Throughout pregnancy and labor, it is always important to keep your healthcare provider informed of any changes or concerns you might experience so that she can assess the situation.
